Fortinet vs Palo Alto: Which Firewall Is Right for Your Business?

Fortinet FortiGate and Palo Alto Networks are two established next-generation firewall (NGFW) platforms used to protect business networks.

Both can provide capabilities such as:

• firewall policy enforcement;
• application visibility and control;
• intrusion and threat prevention;
• VPN;
• encrypted traffic inspection;
• SD-WAN; and
• centralised management.

But they do not approach every requirement in exactly the same way.

Fortinet combines networking and security closely through FortiGate, FortiOS, Secure SD-WAN and the wider Fortinet Security Fabric.

Palo Alto Networks places strong emphasis on application- and identity-aware security through technologies such as App-ID and User-ID, together with PAN-OS and centralised management.

So, which should you choose?

The answer depends on your network size, applications, traffic, security requirements, existing infrastructure, IT skills and budget.

Fortinet vs Palo Alto at a Glance

Factor	Fortinet FortiGate	Palo Alto Networks
Platform	FortiGate / FortiOS	NGFW / PAN-OS
Application control	Fortinet Application Control	App-ID
User-aware policies	Supported	User-ID
SD-WAN	Secure SD-WAN integrated with FortiGate	SD-WAN available through PAN-OS
Central management	FortiManager	Panorama
Multi-site environments	Broad range for branch through enterprise	Branch and enterprise options
Hardware acceleration	Purpose-built processors on supported FortiGate models	Platform-specific processing architecture
Security ecosystem	Fortinet Security Fabric	Palo Alto Networks security ecosystem
Cost considerations	Appliance + subscriptions + support + management	Appliance + subscriptions + support + management

Both platforms can support small, mid-sized and enterprise environments depending on the appliance and configuration.

The important part is choosing the right model and security services, not simply choosing the brand.

Fortinet FortiGate: Where Does It Fit?

FortiGate combines network security and networking functions within the FortiOS platform.

Depending on the model and licences, businesses can use FortiGate for functions including:

• next-generation firewall;
• intrusion prevention;
• application control;
• web filtering;
• VPN;
• SD-WAN;
• SSL inspection; and
• other FortiGuard security services.

Fortinet’s Secure SD-WAN is integrated with FortiGate and FortiOS rather than requiring a separate WAN appliance. Fortinet describes the platform as combining networking and security under the same operating system and management environment.

This can be useful for organisations operating:

• branch offices;
• multiple UAE locations;
• distributed networks;
• hybrid environments; or
• existing Fortinet infrastructure.

For larger deployments, FortiManager provides centralised management for multiple FortiGate devices and other parts of the Fortinet Security Fabric.

FortiGate Models to Consider

Empeller Systems currently lists Fortinet firewalls across different performance levels.

Examples include:

• FortiGate 40F – Compact desktop appliance that can be considered for smaller offices and branches.
• FortiGate 60F and FortiGate 70F – Branch and small-business platforms where more interfaces or capacity may be required.
• FortiGate 120G – A rack-mount platform for growing and mid-sized environments. Empeller currently lists 3.1 Gbps NGFW throughput, 5.3 Gbps IPS throughput and 2.8 Gbps threat-protection throughput for this model.
• FortiGate 200G – A higher-capacity platform with multi-gigabit and 10GbE connectivity options for more demanding networks.
• FortiGate 600F – An enterprise-class platform for considerably higher traffic and session requirements.

These are examples rather than fixed user-count recommendations.

A 50-user company transferring large engineering files or performing heavy SSL inspection may need more firewall capacity than a 150-user office with lighter traffic.

Size the firewall from the traffic and enabled security services, not the employee count alone.

Palo Alto Networks: Where Does It Fit?

Palo Alto Networks also provides next-generation firewall capabilities but is particularly known for application- and identity-aware policy controls.

Two important technologies are App-ID and User-ID.

App-ID

App-ID identifies applications based on the traffic itself rather than relying only on ports and protocols.

Palo Alto Networks explains that App-ID uses application signatures, protocol decoding and other classification techniques to identify applications.

This allows administrators to build policies around the applications being used.

For example, an organisation may want to allow a required business application while restricting another type of application traffic.

User-ID

User-ID connects network activity and security policies with users and groups instead of relying only on IP addresses.

This can help organisations build policies around who is accessing an application, not just where the traffic originates.

For environments where application and user context are important to security policy, these capabilities can be useful.

Palo Alto Models to Consider

Empeller’s current firewall range also includes Palo Alto Networks appliances.

Examples include:

• Palo Alto PA-455 – A compact NGFW supporting App-ID, User-ID, threat prevention and SSL decryption. Empeller currently lists 3.6 Gbps firewall throughput and 2.3 Gbps threat-prevention throughput.
• Palo Alto PA-450R – A ruggedised NGFW designed for industrial and other demanding physical environments, including manufacturing, utilities and similar use cases.

Again, choose the model according to the actual traffic, interfaces, security inspection and session requirements.

Fortinet vs Palo Alto: Key Differences

1. Security Approach

Both platforms provide modern NGFW security capabilities.

Fortinet’s approach closely combines security and networking, including NGFW, SD-WAN and the wider Security Fabric.

Palo Alto Networks places strong emphasis on application and identity context, particularly through App-ID and User-ID.

This does not mean Fortinet lacks application or user controls, or that Palo Alto lacks networking features.

It is more useful to think of these as differences in platform approach rather than a list of features one vendor has and the other does not.

2. Firewall Performance

This is where buyers need to be careful.

Do not compare firewalls only using the biggest firewall throughput number on a specification sheet.

Security inspection requires processing.

When comparing models, look at metrics relevant to the intended deployment, such as:

• NGFW throughput;
• threat-protection throughput;
• IPS performance;
• SSL/TLS inspection performance;
• IPsec VPN performance;
• concurrent sessions;
• new sessions per second; and
• interface speeds.

For example, Empeller’s current FortiGate 120G listing shows:

Metric	FortiGate 120G
Firewall throughput	Up to 39 Gbps depending on packet size
IPS throughput	5.3 Gbps
NGFW throughput	3.1 Gbps
Threat-protection throughput	2.8 Gbps

That difference is important.

If a business simply sees “39 Gbps” and assumes the firewall will provide the same performance with security inspection enabled, it can end up with the wrong appliance.

Fortinet itself defines its threat-protection testing with services including firewall, IPS, application control, URL filtering and malware protection enabled.

Always compare vendor performance figures using the relevant test conditions and current datasheets.

3. SD-WAN

Both vendors support SD-WAN.

Fortinet integrates Secure SD-WAN into FortiGate and FortiOS. It combines WAN connectivity, application-aware traffic steering and security within the same platform.

This can be useful for businesses with:

• Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices;
• multiple branches;
• MPLS plus internet links;
• dual internet providers;
• 4G/5G backup connectivity; or
• applications that require intelligent path selection.

Palo Alto Networks also provides SD-WAN through its NGFW platform and PAN-OS.

For a multi-site deployment, do not compare SD-WAN using a checkbox.

Look at:

• number of locations;
• WAN links;
• failover requirements;
• application-aware routing;
• central management;
• reporting;
• existing network equipment; and
• security architecture.

4. Centralised Management

For one firewall, local management may be enough.

For 20 or 100 firewalls, centralised management becomes much more important.

Fortinet uses FortiManager to centrally manage FortiGate and other supported Security Fabric deployments.

Palo Alto Networks uses Panorama for centralised firewall management.

Businesses planning multiple branches should consider the management platform at the same time as the firewall appliances.

The goal is not simply to deploy many firewalls. It is to keep security policies consistent and manageable as the network grows.

5. Application and User Visibility

Both vendors provide application-aware security capabilities, but Palo Alto’s App-ID and User-ID are central parts of its NGFW architecture.

App-ID can identify applications and allow security policies to be built around application behaviour.

User-ID can connect users and groups to security policies.

This can be useful where security teams want rules such as:

Allow this business application for this authorised group rather than simply allowing traffic from a particular IP range.

For organisations evaluating this capability, test it against the actual applications, identity systems and policies used in the business.

6. Licensing and Subscriptions

Do not compare only the appliance purchase price.

NGFW deployments commonly involve additional subscriptions and support.

Depending on the vendor and configuration, the total cost can include:

• firewall hardware;
• threat-prevention services;
• web/URL filtering;
• malware protection;
• DNS security;
• support;
• central management;
• logging/reporting;
• cloud services; and
• licence renewals.

Two quotations for the same appliance can therefore contain very different security services.

Before comparing prices, ask for the exact hardware, subscriptions, licence term and support package.

Fortinet vs Palo Alto: Which Should You Consider?

Rather than treating one vendor as universally better, start with the environment.

Fortinet May Be Worth Considering When:

• security and networking convergence is important;
• Secure SD-WAN is part of the project;
• you have several branches;
• the organisation already uses Fortinet products;
• you need appliance options across several network sizes; or
• FortiManager and the Security Fabric fit your management strategy.

Palo Alto Networks May Be Worth Considering When:

• application-aware policy is a major requirement;
• identity-based security policies are important;
• the organisation already uses Palo Alto Networks products;
• App-ID and User-ID fit the security architecture;
• centralised PAN-OS management is preferred; or
• the required Palo Alto platform matches the performance and security design.

These are starting points, not rules.

A properly sized FortiGate can support demanding enterprise security environments, while a Palo Alto firewall can also serve smaller environments when its capabilities fit the requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions